


&&

by 3ves



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alcohol Abuse, Angst, Blood, Comfort, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Meteorstuck, Siblings, Strilondes, but not detailed blood, just mentioned blood, preretcon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-28 11:58:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15706776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/3ves/pseuds/3ves
Summary: He found her at a window, separated from the distant void by nothing but the thin panel of glass and her reflection staring back at her. A clear martini glass hung low from the tips of her fingers. Instead of looking at the alcohol swishing in a slow vortex in the glass, Dave focused on the chipped black nail polish on her fingernails and the dark bruises beneath her eyes. Karkat wasn’t the only person who wasn’t sleeping lately.--Dave tries to talk to Rose about her alcohol abuse.





	&&

He found her at a window, separated from the distant void by nothing but the thin panel of glass and her reflection staring back at her. A clear martini glass hung low from the tips of her fingers. Instead of looking at the alcohol swishing in a slow vortex in the glass, Dave focused on the chipped black nail polish on her fingernails and the dark bruises beneath her eyes. Karkat wasn’t the only person who wasn’t sleeping lately.

She didn’t turn at the sound of his approach even as he took care to make sure every step was audible instead of flashstepping to her side. The only sign that she was aware that he’d arrived was a slight stiffening of her back, as if pride urged her not to appear weak even as she took a dip into the alcohol reserves that Dave had never thought would be introduced to the meteor. He’d kill for a glass of apple juice but all that was available was some backwater moonshine that Rose had pulled out of who knew where.

There wasn’t anything of interest outside. No dream bubbles gently bumped against each other in the distance and no ghosts were waving from the outside. For all the brightness of her attire, Dave felt like Rose fit right into the darkness surrounding them. He hated it almost as much as he hated the eerie silence that haunted him.

“What’s up, Lalonde,” he mumbled flatly. A poor greeting considering they hadn’t spoken to each other in weeks. Funny how easily they’d drifted apart once the chips had settled. Dave was still getting used to the idea of having a sister, but he was sure he was doing a pisspoor job of playing the part of Rose’s brother. He didn’t exactly have a great example to follow though.

“Dave, I don’t have the energy for another lecture. Karkat already deigned to give me an earful yesterday after I left Kan- after... after I missed my engagement with Kanaya.” The clarity of her voice surprised him almost as much as the fact that Karkat had seen fit to lecture Rose. She wasn’t as inebriated as the last time they spoke so it was possible Karkat had really gotten to her after Dave had confessed his concern. The long sip Rose took of her drink blew that idea out of his mind almost immediately.

“Rose-”

“I  _ know _ , Dave.” Rose whirled to face him with a snarl, martini glass crashing against the window as she spread her arms wide. Dave would never forget the image of Rose’s anger, her eyes ablaze and her white hair messily flying out of place, but it would never compare to the sound Rose made as she took in the shattered glass scattered across the floor and the alcohol dripping from her fingers. Halfway between a sob and whimper, Dave stood helpless as Rose crumpled down and tried to pick up one of the larger shards of glass.

Quiet sniffles filled the room as Rose picked up each shard and neatly stored them in her sylladex. Every few pieces, she sliced a bit of her skin open on a particularly thin shard and her sobs became slightly louder.

“Rose,” Dave mumbled. “Stop.”

“Go away, Dave.”

“No, dude. Stop.”

“ _ Go away, Dave. _ ”

Kneeling down beside Rose, Dave wrapped her hands in his own to keep her from picking at the glass again. “Rose.  _ Stop _ .”

All of the fight abruptly drained from Rose and, without warning, she buried her face in Dave’s shoulder and sobbed. Dave stayed completely still as his shirt quickly became soaked with snot and tears, his mind completely blanking out on the proper way to comfort someone who was obviously in pieces.

His mind flashed to Karkat and he wondered briefly what his best friend would do were he here. Almost mechanically, Dave let go of Rose’s hands and shuffled closer to wrap his arms around Rose in what he hoped was a comforting hug.

“Stop...” Rose hiccuped. “...what, Dave? Picking up glass or drinking?”

Dave was too stunned to respond. Finally he managed a weak, “Both?”

Rose let out a soft snort even as she continued crying. Dave focused on smoothing Rose’s stray hairs down and on the sound of the air passing through the ventilation shaft. After a long time, it occurred to Dave that he should say something at least semi-comforting.

“Are you alright?”

The only reply he received was a muffled, “What do you think?”

After a few more moments, Rose’s sobs quieted down and she pulled away from Dave. Rose wiped at her eyes with the heel of her hands before standing up. She moved a few paces away and sat back against a wall, stretching her legs out in front of her before patting the place next to her. Dave didn’t hesitate to sit down beside her and wondered faintly if he was doing any of this right.

Rose rested her head on Dave’s shoulder and shut her eyes. This close, Dave could smell the alcohol on her breath clouding up the air and make out just how dark the bags under her eyes were. Dave’s skin was fairly pale but, looking down at Rose, Dave learned what it meant to have a sickly pallor. Closing his eyes as well, Dave leaned his head back against the wall and intertwined his fingers with Rose’s, giving them a light squeeze of comfort. Unlike his own palms, Rose’s were unblemished and only had calluses in the places where she held a pen too tightly.

White noise filled Dave’s head as they sat in silence. He had meant to say so much when he had sought Rose out.

_ What are you doing? _

_ Rose, this isn’t healthy. _

_ Rose, please. _

_ Rose. _

_ I miss you. _

In his imagination, Rose was still the same person he used to see her as. She’d answer his accusations with some flippantly sarcastic remark and easily twist the conversation in her favor. The Rose Dave thought he knew wouldn’t have a breakdown after smashing a martini glass. Of course, the Rose Dave thought he knew wouldn’t be drinking. 

Real Rose, Present Rose, interrupted Dave’s thoughts.

“Do you ever miss it?”

It took Dave a solid second to realize she had asked him a question and then a beat longer to wonder what the right answer to this one was. He wished he knew what to say, what would bring Rose back and make her feel better. But Real Rose, the Rose Dave was getting to know, would never want some tailored answer to such a straightforward question.

“No. Not even slightly.”

“I’m glad,” Rose mumbled. And then, “I was going to be an author. Or a psychologist. Or a philosopher. Or- Or- Well. I was going to be  _ someone _ .”

“You are someone.”

Rose let out a bitter laugh. Her violet eyes flashed open to look up at Dave with an unspoken challenge. 

“Dave, I was hoping to be someone on Earth.”

He met her unflinching stare with his own and trusted that Rose knew him well enough to see right through his shades.

“Why can’t you be someone here?”

Her lips pursed slightly as she fiddled with one of his knuckles, fingers skimming over the knotted scars and thick calluses decorating his hands. At every scar, she seemed to hesitate, and Dave knew Rose was already putting two and two together and piecing together the puzzle pieces of his life.

“I don’t know,” she finally mumbled. “I miss my mom.”

Rose closed her eyes again and shifted so that Dave’s bony shoulder would bury itself into her cheek instead of her cheekbone. Her antsy tracing of the inside of Dave’s palm stopped and he tightened his hold on her hand a little more if only to remind her that he was still here.

“Yeah, alright,” Dave whispered. And then, because sometimes physical reminders just weren’t enough, “I’m here for you, Rose.”

Already half-asleep, Rose only managed a slurred, “I know, Dave” before completely slipping away into the dream bubbles. 

Not knowing what else to do, Dave stayed.

**Author's Note:**

> This was totally self-indulgent. I loved Dave and Rose's interactions in Homestuck and wish we saw more of their relationship while they were on the meteor. I know a lot of fics have Rose comfort Dave but I kind of believe Rose needed more comfort than Dave when they were on the meteor. (Although, I don't actually believe Dave would be all that great at comforting anyone.)  
> I hope y'all enjoyed this and thank you for reading!


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